


Sounds Like Fire

by Skelitzel



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Language Barrier, M/M, before Frisk's timeline, everyone crushing on the new flame in town, hotlandian language, learning to speak, shy grillby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 12:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13681254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skelitzel/pseuds/Skelitzel
Summary: Set before Frisk has ever fallen in the Underground, an ambitious flamesman decides to move into a new area called Snowdin to start his own business. While knowledgable of his trade, he hasn’t been exposed to many monsters outside of Hotland and struggles to learn and communicate with them. Over time he begins to make a few friends, but the language barrier causes him quite a lot of stress, especially when a certain skeleton wearing a blue jacket seems to misinterpret the crackles of his flames.





	Sounds Like Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a backup secret Santa for Spirit-drop on tumblr and thought I'd post it here too! Enjoy!

“so then, get this. Pap put another sticky note on it asking me to move it to my room and i just said ‘ok’ but,” he started laughing even more, interrupting his story, “then after he said ‘AND DON’T BRING IT BACK!’” he giggled and held a hand to his face, “so now i gotta figure out what i want to say next. i wonder if i could get a whole trail down to the front door.”

Grillby’s flames tingled, wavering in amusement when he listened to Sans’ story. It might not have been quite as funny as what the skeleton seemed to think, but he always enjoyed seeing him smile.

Sans was still giggling as Grillby wandered off to wipe down the counter and check on a few other patrons. When he passed by again, the skeleton grabbed his sleeve. “tibia honest, i totally forgot about the sock. but after his first note i just had to mess with him a little,” The glowing lights of his eyes twinkled, and he seemed a little nervous. “you don’t think i’m going too far, do you?”

Oh. 

A direct question. 

Something that required more than just a simple head nod or gesture. 

Um.

Grillby raised his hand, but the red bird chirped up. “He’s obviously not going to say anything negative to you, you’re his customer.” She clicked her beak as if she were quite clever, “Everyone knows that they can’t be honest on the job.”

“oh…” Sans let his sleeve go, a soft blue hue gracing his cheekbones as he sat back down. “yeah, that makes sense. sorry, Grillz, if that was weird.”

His flames crackled, meant to be taken as a comforting way, but the Hotlandian language didn’t seem to translate so well here in Snowdin. Sans just stared blankly at him, which caused his flames to flicker in uncertainty. He waved his hands dismissively and briskly walked out to check on the other patrons, feeling like an idiot. Why did he think it was a good idea to open a bar here if he couldn’t communicate with his own customers? Maybe he should look into hiring a bilingual server.

Time passed and Sans left before he noticed, and he sighed while cleaning up the plate and empty ketchup bottles.

“I could help, you know,” the avian said, watching him. She rested her wings on the bar top, “I’m not fluent, but I can catch enough to understand what you want to say.”

His flames wavered again, intrigued and yet a little confused. He raised a fiery brow in question, and she giggled.

“No, you don’t have to pay me. I’m around enough as it is, and I’d hate to have to come to my favorite spot just to work.” She hopped off the stool, ruffling her feathers just a little to stretch and smiled at him. “Would that be okay with you?”

He leaned over the bar and took her wing in gratitude, nodding vigorously. This was perfect! With her help, maybe he could finally start making friends here and get to know his customers better.

She laughed and patted his hands, “Okay, hot stuff don’t worry, I’ll do my best to help~” She almost sang as she walked away,  leaving him to finish closing the bar in silence.

 

* * *

The days passed and she practiced with him, learning his mannerisms and the way his flames changed with his emotions. There were some misses, but nothing too difficult that couldn’t be remedied with a reorder or clarification. He wasn’t quite sure what her name was, but she seemed to be content with being referred to as ‘Red Bird’. It made… him happy. He was starting to feel like he belonged here in Snowdin. Maybe it wasn’t so foolish to want to open a bar here? Perhaps one of these days he could consider some of his customers as friends. Some day.

Sans came in almost daily, sometimes he seemed happy, while other times he seemed exhausted. He quickly learned that while at a glance he seemed lazy and apathetic, he did genuinely care for his brother, Papyrus. He worked as a sentry, which was a little strange. Humans hadn’t been spotted for many years, and many monsters believed that there may never be another human sighting again. It was an interesting theory, but not one that he thought he could discuss with Sans with or without their language barrier.

He did wonder though…

What would Sans do if he did find a human in the Underground?

“how’s it today, Grillz?” Sans asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the bar, his classic grin on his face. “are you starting to get more customers yet?”

Grillby shrugged, wiping off one on of the glasses and his avian friend spoke up. “It’s about the same, but word is starting to spread. Usually it’s the canine unit but now and then he sees a few other Snowdin residents.”

“oh,” he blinked, a little puzzled that she was the one who answered. “well, I did try to get my brother to give it a second chance, but he said it was too greasy.”

Grillby’s flames sizzled and popped with laughter, and Sans smiled a bit again.

Red Bird’s eyes narrowed, and she quipped, “That’s a little rude to say, don’t you think? He works hard managing his restaurant and preparing meals for everyone.”

“ah, geez you’re right,” he mumbled, his laughter dying down as he rubbed the back of his skull. “i’m sorry, Grillby, i didn’t think about how that sounded.”

He just waved his hand dismissively, not taking any offense to it. It was honestly really cute that he was… trying to hard to get to know him better. Oh, he brought up a hand to his rapidly warming cheek. Could Sans be his first friend here? Aside from Red Bird of course, but she was just helping out of the kindness of her soul.

“Honestly, you should think a little before you say something like that.” Red Bird said, laying against the bar with a soft drunken giggle.

“yeah…” Sans gave Grillby a bashful smile, “i guess my brother is right yet again, i am a bit of a numbskull.”

Grillby’s flames flickered back and forth quickly, laughter a crackling fire. He reached out to pat Sans’ arm, but hesitated. That might be al little odd to invade a customer’s personal space.

“He said that’s funny, but he doesn’t think you should talk yourself down like that.” Red Bird filled in, yawning a bit.

Sans blinked, looking between the two of them before he chuckled, “fair enough, thanks Grillz.”

Grillby wondered… would it be too late to ask him to stay after closing? He would like to get to know more of the monsters, and Sans was here just as much as Red Bird. He glanced at Red Bird for assistance just as a shout interrupted his thoughts.

“Sans! WHERE ARE YOU?” 

“aw man,” Sans hopped off the stool, sighing a bit. “i think that means my break is over.”

Wait. He held out his hand and Red Bird sat up, “He says farewell.” No, that’s not it.

“yeah, i’ll see ya later, Grillz.” Sans said, turning to leave the bar.

He watched him leave, frustrated. At least, based on his habits, he should see him again tomorrow. He turned away and started to clean up, knowing that the rest of the patrons would begin clearing out soon.

“What do you usually do after work?” Red Bird asked, sitting up a bit.

Well… nothing really, at the moment. He shrugged, his back still to her.

“Oh, well maybe one of these days we could do something around town? I’d love to show you around.” She ruffled her feathers nervously, waiting for him to turn around.

Grillby glanced at her, tilting his head to the side in a comforting response. He just didn’t have the time to explore the town after he closed. It was always so late, and everyone would be asleep. Asking someone to stay later was one thing, but going out on the town…

“Another time, then,” she said quietly, thinly veiling her disappointment. “That’s okay!” She giggle-chirped, “You’re such a hard worker, it’s admirable~”

His face burned a little hotter and he waved it off sheepishly, earning another giggle.

“Don’t be so bashful, Grillby~” She hopped off her stool, stretching out her wings. “Mm, well I’m sure there’ll be some time once you figure out how long you want to keep your bar open. Maybe even hire a few of the monsters around here to help you out too?” 

That was a good idea. He nodded and she smiled, bowing her head.

“Have a good night, Grillby.” And with that, he was left alone in his bar once again.

 

* * *

A few more weeks passed and he was starting to learn more and more of his patron’s names, as well as their habits of when they came into the bar and how long they stayed. He subtly took notes, looking for the best trends to provide hours that would best serve the majority. He didn’t have much of a personal life here yet, but he would enjoy some personal time at some point.

Sans and Red Bird of course came in on the regular, and he was learning more about Doggo, Dogamy, and Dogaressa. The couple’s… nuzzling, was a little excessive, but endearing in a way.

“hey, Grillby.” Sans spoke up as he walked by with a tray, “i heard a new hotel opened up in Hotland.” He blushed and held up his hands, “and uh, there’s a restaurant there too. and i was… well Pap thought it might be a good idea to check it out. maybe see if you could get some pointers on how to run the bar?”

That actually could be fun.

Red Bird snorted, “Sans, do you really think he has time for something like that? He runs this place on his own, why would he trek out to Hotland to go check out some other restaurant?”

Sans shrugged, “i thought it was a good idea,” he blushed and quickly said, “er, i mean my brother thought it’d be smart.” He tapped his phalanges together, “maybe figure out some new dishes or-“

New dishes, that might be smart. Maybe something less greasy too? Not that he thought his dishes were that greasy.

Red Bird slammed her wing on the bar top, her words slurred. “He doesn’t have time for that kind of thing, Sans. Get that through your thick skull, not everyone can just blow off their jobs ya know.”

Both boys jumped, and Grillby subtly put the alcohol away. “well, i mean, he doesn’t work all the time. i’m sure there’s some point where he could check it out.”

Grillby held up a finger, trying to get her attention.

“Oh? With what help exactly? He has to keep this place open day and night, and only closes when everyone’s ready to retire for the day.” She held up her wings with an exasperated sigh, “So obviously the restaurant would be closed any chance he’d have the time. Unless you’re volunteering to run the place for a day.”

Wait, hold on.

Sans narrowed his eye sockets, “and why can’t you do it? you’re here just as much as me.”

She laughed, “I’m a disaster in the kitchen! He may be fire, but I’d be the one to accidentally burn the place down.” She squinted at Sans, “You and your brother work well together though, so why don’t you two run the place so he can have a day off?” She cooed, “And I can take him to this fancy shmancy restaurant.”

Sans crossed his arms, “oh so now it’s not stupid to suggest going to the restaurant? why is it a bad idea when i suggest it?”

What was happening? He raised his hands, trying to calm them down with distressed wavers of his flames. Emotions were always more intense when inebriated, but this was a little ridiculous, fighting over nothing.

“Because he’s not interested, obviously.” She said, standing up and stumbling a bit. “So quite pestering him with these little invitations.”

Sans huffed and stood up as well, “oh, is that really what he’s saying, or are you just twisting his words for your own benefit?”

Her feathers ruffled again, and she puffed out her chest. “Watch it, I wouldn’t betray his trust like that.”

That was true, maybe. It wasn’t like she was trying to misread him, but some of this was just too difficult to understand. He couldn’t fault her for that. He moved again to get their attention, and both sets of eyes focused on him.

“Which is it Grillby?”

“yeah, who would you wanna go to the restaurant with?” Sans seemed flustered, but not as irritated as Red Bird.

“If you could go, of course.” Red Bird said smoothly with a side glance to Sans.

He hesitated, looking down to figure out how to address this, and Red Bird smirked, “Told you he wouldn’t want to go with you.”

“fine, whatever then.” Sans muttered, turning to leave.

Hold on, that’s not what he said!

He honestly had no idea when he’d have free time to go out so far from his bar. He looked up again, but Sans was already to the door, not even looking back as he walked out.

He sighed, shooting a look at Red Bird who just shrugged and teetered a bit.

“What? It was silly of him to ask, he should try to understand you more.” She leaned over the bar again, “Like me.”

He leaned back a bit, now noticing how truly drunk she was and looked around. No one else seemed to be left at the bar, so he offered her his hand. It was right to ensure she got home safe, especially after giving her so much.

“Aw what a gentleman!” She clapped her wings together and waited for him to finish up, then hugged his arm to her chest. “I don’t live far,” she leaned into him while he walked up, a blur of blue gracing his peripherals. He looked up, but she tugged at his sleeve, “No, this way.”

He nodded and patted her wing, ensuring her that he would escort her safely.

 

* * *

Sans didn’t come back.

He wasn’t sure why, but the blue skeleton didn’t seem interested in visiting his bar after that night. Grillby saw him a few times through the windows, assuming he was checking his sentry stations.

But…

He never came in. He tried to not let it bother him, and focus on his work, but it did make his soul feel something he hadn’t experienced before.

It _hurt._

And to make matters worse-

“Hey, Grillby.” Red Bird said quietly, taking a seat. “Sorry I haven’t been around the last few days, just been a little busy.”

He waved his hand quickly and stepped into the back. His soul was racing and he braced against the door. He tried to put it out of his mind, but she tried to _kiss_ him that night! Did she even remember? Hopefully not, but now his flames…

Resting a hand on his chest and closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing… his temperature. He had to remember to stay calm at all times or his flames could flare up and maybe even hurt someone. Just keep calm. His chest expanded against his hand with each deep breath, the sound of his exhale so steady through the hissing flames helped soothe him.

Once he felt ready, he stepped out again and straightened his vest, bowing apologetically to Red Bird.

She blinked and abruptly made a squawking sound. “O-oh no, don’t apologize to me!” She seemed flustered, her feathers ruffling and drawing attention. He straightened and she mumbled timidly, “It’s my fault… I just thought that maybe you would… it’s not important,” she glanced at the empty stool where Sans usually sat. “I messed it up. I knew you were trying to make friends here, and I got greedy.”

He followed her gaze, the flames of his hair glowing dimmer and shortening slightly.

“I did try to convince him to come back,” she said in a small voice, drawing his attention. “I tried to apologize, but he said he didn’t want to waste anymore of your time… he knows that this bar is important to you, and he wants you to be successful without distractions.” She sniffled a bit, “He was right… I was trying to sway your words in my favor.”

Grillby’s expression softened, and he reached out to pat her head, clearly showing he bore no ill will.

She reached up to wipe a tear, smiling a bit, “Aw, look at me getting all emotional so early in the day. You’re too kind, Grillby.”

He shrugged, then stroked his chin and looked toward the door. So… Sans thought he did not want him to come back. Bringing Red Bird to assist with translating his clarification could be an issue… and he had to figure out what this feeling in his soul was. He looked at her again, gesturing to behind the bar. If she was sorry, then maybe doing him a favor could help make amends.

“You… you want me to run the bar today?” she asked nervously, “Oh no I can’t do that! I’ll mess something up or-“ 

He reached out to take her hand with a pleading burn in his eyes. He had to figure out what this feeling in his soul was, and he had to make it right. He didn’t like the idea of hurting another solely because he couldn’t communicate properly.

Red Bird blushed and looked down, “Okay, but just for today and come back fast. I don’t want to ruin this place when you’ve tried so hard to give us somewhere to spend time and forget about how boring everything is.”

His flames seemed to reignite just a little, almost returning to their former brightness. Grillby squeezed her hand and led her around the counter, showing her where to find everything and how to take orders. Luckily, she had noticed a lot of his tasks after coming so frequently, and seemed confident in everything aside from preparing food. He locked the kitchen and gestured for her to only serve drinks, then stepped into the back to retrieve his coat. Not for the cold, obviously, but it did aid in avoiding the moisture of Waterfall.

He had an idea of what might help him. Some fire monsters were able to communicate in more than just Hotlandian, so maybe she could help him too?

 

* * *

Waterfall was definitely his least favorite area, despite its beauty. He zipped up his coat, keeping close to the walls and popping up his collar. He still couldn’t recall what had possessed him to traverse through these dank caverns to Snowdin. A thought of Sans warmed his soul, comforting him as he passed by his telescope. He didn’t regret moving, not at all. It was nice to give oneself a fresh start, even within the small confines of the Underground.

Taking one of the umbrellas, he sighed and started a brisk walk through the rain pouring down. There was way too much water here, and he shuddered as his footsteps splashed beneath him. If he had a choice, he’d never touch the stuff.

“Hey, mister!” A child’s voice called, “Can I share your umbrella?”

He looked up, clutching the handle with both his hands. Oh, it was that little yellow lizard with no arms. He frowned, glancing up at its cover. There might just be enough room… 

Grillby walked over, holding it out for them to scamper underneath. “Thanks! I’m going to go see the coolest monster today!” Their tail wagged while they followed, “And I uh, I kind of forgot about this part. I thought I could run through the rain but there’s way too much.”

Grillby winced as some beads of water fell onto his shoulder, nodding his agreement with a distasteful hiss.

The yellow lizard looked up, “Gosh, are you okay mister? I don’t see a lot of fire monsters in this area.”

He just nodded, and made a motion to walk faster, feeling his shoulder grow painfully cold.

“Okay, I’m really good at running! I run all the time!” They said cheerfully, sprinting with him through the rain. Just as they made it through, the lizard tripped and face planted. “Ack!”

Grillby started to kneel, but they quickly pushed up, “No, I’m okay!” They were still smiling and didn’t seem to be hurt, “I may not have arms, but that doesn’t make me weak.” They giggled a bit, “I just have to practice my balance is all.”

He let out a relieved sigh, shaking off the umbrella and putting it away. His shoulder hurt, but nothing his fire couldn’t burn through. Taking off his jacket, he pulled back his collar to check the darkened area, the joint currently stiff and blackened.

“That looks like it hurts,” they said sadly, “will you be okay?”

He nodded, attempting to convey a smile and patted their head. He fixed his shirt and draped his coat over his arm, keeping the dampened sleeve away from him.

“Okay, well I’m going to run ahead and find Undyne. Be careful, mister!” they shouted with a big smile, running off and disappearing into the darkness.

 

* * *

The heat of Hotland quickly dried his coat, and helped heal his shoulder. A familiar landscape, and his soul’s ache faded for a moment while he greeted monsters he recognized on his way to the lab. Alphys, the royal scientist, was always researching many projects. There had to be something she could suggest to help him learn to speak.

He knocked on the door, waiting patiently unit she timidly opened the door. “Hello?” She peered around the door, adjusting her glasses, “Oh… you’re Grillby right?” She opened the door wider and smiled a bit, “What can I do for you?”

Grillby withdrew a notebook, writing down his request and handing it to her.

She took it in her small clawed hands, reading it over with a small frown. “Hmm… I can see if I can find something, give me just a moment.” She shut the door and disappeared inside for a few minutes and then opened the door again, handing him a book and some kind of tape deck with headphones. “Here!” she smiled proudly, “it’s an audiobook, and you can change how slow it plays. Since you already know how to read and write, you can listen to it and follow along, learning the sounds and try to mimic them.”

This was perfect! Something he could work on privately and at his own pace. He took them and reached into his pocket to find money to pay her.

“Oh!” she held up her hands, “N-no, you don’t need to pay me, it’s okay!” She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled a bit more, “I’m just… happy to help.”

He bowed low in wordless gratitude, and she blushed, “It’s nothing, really. I find lots of things to fix up from the dump.”

Grillby chuckled at that, his laughter a blend of crackles and pops. Standing straighter, he bid her farewell and returned home.

 

* * *

Days continued to pass by, and Sans still hadn’t returned to the bar once. Though, it was becoming more common for Grillby to catch when he’d be passing by or peeking into the window. His soul ached every time he saw a glimpse of blue, so he kept his head down and focused on his work, counting down the hours until close.

Each night he sat in his room, listening to the book and sounding out the words along with it, rewinding and repeating words he stumbled on. He practiced on his bed, refusing to stop until he fell asleep. Each morning his book would have fallen to the ground, his headphones a tangly, wired mess.

It still wasn’t clear enough.

It sounded too, well, fiery.

Even he didn’t know what that sound was supposed to mean. How did he even make that?

He groaned in frustration, tossing the book aside and tearing off the headphones. This was pointless. He didn’t… have a voice like the others. Maybe he should just go back to Hotland where fire hybrids were more common, and he never had issues finding complete translators there.

He hugged his legs to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. The thought of leaving Snowdin made him feel incredibly sad. He was starting to get attached to the monsters here, the slower lifestyle, and the general calmness that surrounded the little town.

Try. He had to keep trying.

“Ssss…” he hissed, an easier sound to make.

“Ssssaa…” A little better.

“Ssansss!” the name sizzled from his tongue with a sharp snap, and he clapped his hand over his mouth. Way too much of an accent, how embarrassing! “Ssssanss?” he tried again, but the crackles of his own language echoed. He let out a defeated sigh, laying down. It’d have to do… if he didn’t come back in the morning. He didn’t want to wait any longer for him to return.

He wanted to see Sans again.

 

* * *

The morning came and went, with no sign of the skeleton. Red Bird noticed his demeanor had changed, flames wavering anxiously. “I tried again, but he said he’s too busy to stop by today… like every day.” she said quietly.

Grillby managed to give her a grateful smile, bearing no grudge against her. She did help keep the bar running before, and even without serving food his profits weren’t too negatively impacted. He had accepted Sans wouldn’t be coming back, he just… wasn’t going to. Ever.

His soul started to hurt again.

She noticed and cleared her throat, “If you um, need a break. I know that it’s really nice to take a walk around Snowdin forest.” She stood up, “I wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on the place again for you.”

If he could burn any brighter, he would. It was perfect timing, still late morning and most of his customers didn’t start trickling in until about mid-afternoon. Currently it was just Red Bird and Big Mouth. He nodded quickly and she giggled, walking around the bar and taking the glass from him. “Okay, just take your time,” she winked, “with your break.”

He rushed out the door, briefly waving hello to passing monsters before he jogged toward the forest. The flames of his hair trailed behind him as he ran, his footsteps thudding against the wooden bridge, but he barely heard it. His soul started to thrum faster the further he went, knowing he was getting close. He was getting close…

Grillby started to slow down, walking with a hand to his chest to calm his breathing again. Anxiousness stirred within him, causing his fiery body to shiver and waver in brightness. What if he sounded foolish? He could barely say his name last night.

A blue jacket was settled under a tree, Sans clearly napping in the snow with his sleep smile ever present.

Just the sight of that smile calmed the turmoil starting to burn, and he strode over to him, kneeling down and nudging his shoulder.

“mm…” Sans grunted, “five more minutes…”

Grillby shook him more insistently, and the skeleton nearly toppled over.

“ugh, Pap, what’re you doing? you’re not usually over hear until, ah!” Sans startled awake, “G-Grillby? what’re you doing out here?”

He opened his mouth to try to speak, but Sans interrupted him.

“if it’s about the tab, i didn’t forget.” he glanced away and said, “i promise i’m gonna pay it, so don’t worry.”

What? His laughter sizzled and the skeleton looked at him again. That was great to know, but he hadn’t thought about that in a while. Only Sans.

“what’s so funny?” he just looked confused, “that’s what you’re worried about right? since i haven’t been by?”

Grillby shook his head and held up a finger to shush him. He had to focus on this, his mouth moving in a way that was still very strange to him, like trying to work out a muscle he never used. “Sss….aa…” He cleared his throat, his face starting to burn, “Sssanss…”

Sans’ eye sockets somehow widened, eyes glowing with shock. “did you just-“

He shushed again when Grillby looked at him, waiting patiently. “I… miss… Sansss…” his name hissed on his tongue, and he could feel that embarrassment rise again at his thick accent. He must sound so foolish, but he had to keep trying. “I…” some syllables were harder for him, especially once that weren’t found in his language. How could he say it? “I…” he took Sans’ hand in his, “want sssee Sansss…” Did that make sense?

Sans’ face was quickly turning a light shade of blue, and Grillby let go of his hand, worried he messed it up. “you… want to see me?” 

He nodded.

“like, at the bar again?”

Well, yes, but that’s not what he meant. He shook his head and shrugged, “Yesss… no…”

The blue spread further and Sans fidgeted in the snow, “uh, like the restaurant?”

“Yess!” he sizzled happily, smiling at him.

“oh, well i uh,” Sans glanced away, smiling bashfully, “i was asking you out on a date there, Grillz.”

“Yesss” was his reply, smile burning brighter.

Sans blinked and looked up at him, “but aren’t you with Red Bird?” Grillby shook his head, and Sans frowned a bit. “oh, i just thought you were since you walked her home,” He looked down at his lap, “after that night. i just kind of thought you picked her.”

He wasn’t really aware he was supposed to make a choice, and he started laughing. His laughter always fizzled and popped and he couldn’t help it, the harder he laughed the more incoherent the sounds were. Somehow though, he never felt self conscious about his laughter around Sans.

Sans started laughing too, scratching his cheekbone, “see? i told you i’m a numbskull, i guess i misjudged that situation pretty bad.” Grillby nodded and he sighed, leaning his skull back against the tree. “so i’ve been sitting here moping around for nothing.” He smiled to himself and looked at Grillby again, “i didn’t know you were trying to learn to speak by the way, that’s really cool. what’s the first word you said?”

Grillby glanced away, feeling his face warm even further. “…. Sanss..” he said softly, and Sans’ sucked in a breath.

“are you learning how to speak for me?” he asked softly.

He started to nod, but abruptly found two skeletal arms wrapped around his neck.

“Grillz… that’s… wow… i can’t even begin to say how that makes me feel,” he whispered into Grillby’s neck, hugging him tight. “no one but my bro’s ever done anything like that for me before.”

Oh how his soul soared! The strange ache completely vanished now that he had reconciled with Sans. Grillby sat down in the snow, embracing him. “Sanss,” he said happily, each time a little better, but he’d probably still have a little crackle with his words.

Sans pulled back just a little, gazing into his eyes. “i’m going to learn Hotlandian too.” Before Grillby could protest, he added, “it’s only fair, and i can even study with Red Bird.” His big grin just made Grillby’s soul flutter, “that way, no matter how we’re saying it, we won’t have a,” he winked, “misss~understanding again.”

 

* * *

Days at the bar soon became routine, and Grillby set regular hours that everyone seemed pleased with and he was able to find time to invest in his personal life. The door opened and everyone greeted the newcomer warmly, and he waved or made a quick joke before settling down into his seat.

“Hi, Sans.” Red Bird said with a small smile.

He easily returned it, “hey, Red Bird, it’s nice to see ya.” He looked up at the bartender, “hey, Grillz, before you bring me the usual can i ask you something?”

“You just did.” Red Bird snickered.

“hey, we’re supposed to be studying Hotlandian not stealing my jokes.” He chuckled and leaned against the bar.

Grillby walked over, raising a fiery brow.

Sans grinned and asked, “would you wanna come over and watch a movie with me? Pap’s off doing some training with Undyne for a few days.”

His flames wavered under some unseen breeze, and his face quickly burned hotter.

Red Bird giggled and nudged Sans, “I think that’s a yes~”

Grillby’s soul felt like an inferno in his chest, and he dimly remembered to nod.

“awesome,” Sans said and drummed his hands on the bar top briefly. He winked and flashed him a cute grin, “it’s a date.”


End file.
